Theater spotlights: 'Spamalot,' Arena Dances and 'Bohemian Flats'

March 14, 2013 - 2:10 PM

‘Spamalot’

Friday-Saturday: Don’t blink, or you might miss the quickie return of “Spamalot.” The former Broadway darling, which won the best musical Tony in 2005, used to be as hot as “The Book of Mormon,” with which it shares a choreographer, Casey Nicholaw. Director Mike Nichols also won a Tony for this musical comedy composed by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. The story, about King Arthur and his men, features “knights in tights, [one] flatulent Frenchman and killer rabbits.” (8 p.m. Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $34-$94, 1-800-982-2787 or HennepinTheatreTrust.org.)

Rohan Preston

arena dances

Friday-Saturday: Choreographer Mathew Janczewski and his Arena Dances venture into unknown territory this weekend with “version,” a world premiere based in improvisation and set to music by local composer Phil Fried (thanks to a commission by the American Composer’s Forum). Also on tap is the fresh dance mash-up “Pop/UGLY.” “Pop” (2009) is a driven pure-movement piece set to a restless contemporary beat, while 2007’s “Ugly” tackles aspects of our beauty-obsessed culture. The paired works include re-mixed music by Alex Berglund and a cast from the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $32, Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-206-3600, www.thecowlescenter.org.)

caroline palmer

‘bohemian flats’

Opening: Writer/director Liz Neerland sketches out life on the edges of the Mississippi River, circa 1900, in this new show by nimbus. This is familiar ground for Neerland, who created an interesting look at Minneapolis history with the very personal “Minnehaha Avenue” in 2005. In “Bohemian Flats,” she writes about the northern European immigrants (including her own family) who built a hardscrabble community that provided muscle for the burgeoning Minneapolis mill industry. Neerland’s cast includes Charles Numrich, Ariel Leaf and Meri Golden. (8 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., 7:30 p.m. Thu. Ends April 7, nimbus, 1517 Central Av. NE, Mpls., $10-$18, 612-548-1380 or nimbustheatre.com)